Writing aid



E. L. BALLARD Feb. 6, 1962 WRITING AID Filed July 22, 1959 Elmer L. Ballard 1N VENTOR.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,019,769 WRITING AID Elmer L. Ballard, 2304 Puinsettia Drive, San Diego 6, Calif. Filed July 22, 1959, Ser. No. 828,738 2 Claims. (Cl. 120-183) This invention relates to a device to improve writing by the prevention of finger movement.

An object of the invention is to provide a device to aid in teaching and learning improved writing habits by holding the outer joints of the thumb and adjacent finger immobile and by positioning a writing implement, for instance, a pencil, therebetween.

A further object of the invention is to provide an aid to improved writing through better writing habits, the device consisting essentially of a pair of sockets which receive the ends of the thumb and the adjacent finger, the sockets being connected rigidly together by means of a pencil retainer which rigidly fixes the pencil or other writing implement in a proper position with reference to the finger receiving sockets.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a writing aid in accordance with the invention, this view showing the writing aid device in use.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the device in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale an taken approximately on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view, parts being broken away in section of a modification of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view substantially similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the modification of FIGURE 5 installed.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a persons hand 10 holding a writing instrument or implement, for example a pencil 12, by means of a Writing aid 14. The writing aid or writing aid device 14 is exceedingly simple from a mechanical standpoint. It is made of a single cylindrical body 16 having two sockets or stalls 18 and 20. Both of the sockets are provided with cavities shaped to receive the end of the thumb and the end of the adjacent or index finger of the writer. Consequently, the cavities of the sockets are especially contoured in fingerlike general shape. The sockets are further defined by continuous side walls 22 and 24 which constitute a part of the body 16.

Sockets 18 and 20 are rearwardly divergent, said sockets having longitudinal axes including an angle of less than 90 (FIGURE 3), and the material from which body 16 is made is rigid, for instance plastic or metal. When plastic is used there is a material saving in cost of production and the device 14 may be made very light.

There is means located between sockets 18 and 20 for holding the writing implement 12. This means consists essentially of a sleeve 26 whose longitudinal axis is at approximately the bisector of the angle included between the longitudinal axes of sockets 18 and 20. Sleeve 26 is open-ended so that the pencil may be slipped thereprojections 28 thereon. The projections can be made at the ends of diagonal bores 36 (FIGURE 4) through the side wall of sleeve 26.

FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawing shown a modification of the pencil retainer or the pencil gripping means. The modification consists of a perforated cylindrical metallic liner or sleeve 26a having a number of inwardly extending sharp anchoring teeth or projections 28a. The metal sleeve is slipped into sleeve 26 and is held in place by bending the upper and lower fingers or tabs 36 and 38 over the ends of sleeve 26.

The projections 28 and 28a are sharp and they are arranged at an angle facing inwardly and forwardly or downwardly with reference to device 14 when it is held in the hand as shown in FIGURE 1. Consequently, when downward force is applied on the pencil through the body of device 14, the projections 28 tend to grip into the wooden body of the pencil 12 so that it will not slip.

Sockets 18 and 20 are suificiently deep so that the first joints of the thumb and adjacent finger of the user are at least partially contained with sockets 18 and 20 thereby holding the joints immobile and thereby preventing finger writing.

The use and operation of the invention is deemed apparent. Device 14 is simply slipped onto the thumb and adjacent finger by fitting these fingers into sockets 18 and 20. With the pencil or other writing implement 12 held in place, the writer cannot move the outer joints of the pertinent fingers so that the writer is required to write properly. Soon a proper habit of this will be acquired and device 14 will no longer be needed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A writing aid comprising a cylindrical plastic sleeve for slidably receiving a writing instrument, rearwardly divergent thumb and index finger stalls integral with diametrically opposite side portions of said sleeve, a cylindrical metallic liner mounted in the sleeve, said liner having perforations therein and comprising forwardly and inwardly inclined, integral anchoring teeth on its inner surface aligned with the perforations and adaptedto bite into the instrument, and means for securing the liner in the sleeve.

2. A writing aid comprising a cylindrical plastic sleeve for slidably receiving a writing instrument, rearwardly divergent thumb and index finger stalls integral withdiametrically opposite side portions of said sleeve, a cylindrical metallic liner mounted in the sleeve, said liner having perforations therein and comprising forwardly and inwardly inclined, integral anchoring teeth on its inner surface aligned with the perforations and adapted to bite into the instrument, and means for securing the liner in the sleeve, said means comprising longitudinally projecting fingers on the ends of the liner bendable outwardly and reversely over the end portions of the sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 471,449 Germany Jan. 4, 1929 473,906 Germany Mar. 7, 1929 

